Where does one draw the line?
On a number of roundabouts in Lahore, a supreme irony is on display each spring. Every year, during spring just as the flower beds on the roundabouts are blossoming, some company decides it would be a great opportunity to show case its cutting edge marketing skills. Every spring, gaudy, aesthetically challenged card-board flowers are placed directly in front of the real flowers, completely decimating what is one of the best experiences of spring. In a country that is grappling with issues threatening its existence, the annoyance caused by blocking the author’s view of blooming spring flowers might seem trivial at best but the assertion or complaint, however your see it, needs to be seen in the larger context of shrinking green spaces in our cities.
The issue is more fundamental than that. It is that of ownership and the people’s right to public places. What exactly is the nature of public space and who owns such areas? Under the status quo, clearly, the government’s mandate is supreme. The government does what it feels is the right thing. Yes, infrastructure is important but so are green spaces. Some might contend infrastructure to be more important by many magnitudes but without ample open and green spaces, it is likely that the quality of life of citizens will suffer.
Are green spaces open for the government to rent out as they feel fit?
Are green spaces open for the government to rent out as they feel fit? Does the government have the mandate to rent out a roundabout to a corporation allowing it to advertise its products? On an individual level, I disagree with this model of governing green spaces. The encroachment of corporations advertising their wares in such areas should be restricted. First and foremost, the benefit of green spaces should accrue to citizens rather than government agencies or corporations. Because citizens are the most affected by this encroachment, it should perhaps be the citizens’ mandate to allow or even disallow the use of hoardings in green spaces.
Policy making very often grapples with the problem of degree. Where does one draw the line? Is it just roundabouts that need to be protected? Or should this democratisation be extended to other parts of our green spaces? Should we perhaps disallow hoardings everywhere? Even on roads, bridges, buildings?
The Mayor of Sao Paulo seemed to think that ought to be the case. As of 2006, Sao Paulo with a population of 11 million and one of the world’s largest cities has enforced a blanket ban on the use of all outdoor advertisements. No hoardings, no billboards and most certainly, no garish looking card-board flowers. Nothing. Economic consultants contended that the city would stand to lose USD130 million over the course of the next few years. This would result in 20,000 jobs being lost. Nothing happened. Faced with such a ban, the city’s various advertising agencies only found more creative ways of sending their messages across. The ban effectively yanked them out of their comfort zone. As for the public, 70 percent of the city’s citizens are in favour of it. A quick google search will showcase the profound changes in the city’s landscape since the ban.
There is the government’s side that needs to be assessed too. Can the resource starved government of a poverty ridden country afford to forgo the revenues that accrue from this particular industry? The cost of not having those revenues is high for countries such as Pakistan, where every rupee counts. Perhaps, if the government does ban hoardings, some service will have to endure a cutback. Could be a hospital whose funds are cut in order to keep the city’s parks cleans and safe. Could be a school too. Though in all likelihood, given current priorities, it would be an infrastructure project. Of which, again, there is a dire need in this country. Even here, a matter of degree is important to assess and analyse.
Is it just roundabouts that need to be protected? Or should this democratisation be extended to other parts of our green spaces?
So where do you decide to draw the line? Blanket ban or perhaps establishing advertisement free zones in the city? The costs of each must be evaluated and compared with the benefits. Clearly, having clutter free green spaces is essential for citizens’ wellbeing. Whereas revenue generation is equally important for government agencies. One longer term solution to such questions is the establishment of local governments that are able to democratise such questions through the vote.
Larger questions of public property need to be sorted out in Pakistan. Currently, the states mandate is overbearing, almost patriarchal in nature. The government does what it feels is the best course of action, which might not be the case certainly. Perhaps democratising the process, giving people ownership of decisions might allow a better approach to the use of public spaces. What is certain is that outdoor advertisements need to be regulated to some extent saving citizens from experiencing eye sores such as those horrid looking card board flowers of round about fame.